Time for the Greens
Low and behold, the theme of balance rang quite true (again) this week. We started with a baked pasta that was heavenly, made two salads that were just plain super, threw in meatballs because I love them, and made time for a meatless dish because we are trying to cover a lot of ground each week. And let me remind you, I made one of my favorite cookies on Wednesday night. Balance. It’s really quite important.
Now, let’s get to the food!
Spicy Baked Pasta with Cheddar and Broccoli Rabe
Recipe by Alison Roman for Bon Appétit, find it here.
We don’t dive into the pasta world too often so when we do, it better be an amazing bowl of pasta. And of course, this Alison Roman recipe was, as usual, beyond amazing. Sure, it wasn’t super protein-y, but it sure was very cheesy, a little spicy, and full of greens. So this was a semi-healthy take on decadence, if you ask me.
This dish was so ridiculously delicious I couldn’t stop plunging my fork into the giant pot while we were trying to (put away the leftovers) clean up. The crisp top of cheddar and GF panko was scrumptious against the soft, creamy pasta that was mixed with chopped broccoli rabe and more cheese.
While I’d call this dinner almost-perfection, I may make one tweak next time: instead of cheddar, I may try a creamier cheese such as Gouda or fontina. Or maybe a mix of both! Either way, this dinner was Divine with a capital D.
Sun-Dried Tomato anD Avocado Salad with Chicken
Recipe from Half Baked Harvest Super Simple by Tieghan Gerard.
Nothing better than a salad that serves up the protein and can really hold its own at dinner. This delicious dish was jam-packed with flavor thanks to an unreal bacon vinaigrette, sun-dried tomatoes, avocado, and sliced baked chicken. And while that may seem like a lot all together, believe me it worked.
The base of spinach was great, but I may try a mix of lettuces and arugula next time to add another texture to the bowl. While I’ll never say no to spinach salad, sometimes I prefer the plainer lettuce or the more peppery arugula. Variety is the spice of life!
For the record, you could make this with a different dressing if you’re not a bacon fan, but you’d be remiss. The vinaigrette makes this dish a star.
Crispy Chicken and spinach salaD with peanut dressing
Original recipe/creation.
For the nights when you are having salad, but need it to be a little more fun, I’d recommend this stellar combo: panko-breaded chicken (bakes or pan-fried) with a basic green salad. However, that basic salad will become anything-but-boring thanks to awesome spicy peanut dressing.
My goodness, this salad dressing is a savior when it comes to making me excited about having another bowl of greens for dinner. I’m not opposed to multiple salad nights, but they better be very different from one another. This peanut dressing was the perfect contrast to the previous night’s vinaigrette. And that panko chicken is something I will crave for the rest of my life. Crispy chicken - a forever favorite.
One Skillet Greek Meatballs and Lemon Butter Orzo With Whipped Feta
Recipe from Half Baked Harvest, find it here.
Selecting recipes that are not naturally gluten free has never scared me. Nor will it ever deter me from choosing them for a meal plan. This dish was not naturally GF, but we made a minor change and voilá! A delicious dinner was still possible.
Orzo is not gluten free. I’m sorry. But! Use your favorite GF pasta instead. That’s what we did. I wanted to use a small shape, to emulate the orzo, so we used Banza shells (chickpea pasta) in its place. Was the recipe exactly the same? No, but I did not mind one bit.
The truth is that the best part of this meal was the whipped feta covered in sun-dried tomatoes and dill. Yes, the meatballs were good, but I think next time we will use lamb instead of chicken for a more robust overall flavor. Ground chicken, in my opinion, is better suited for Asian-style meatballs (or anything Buffalo-style). Greek meatballs need a bolder meat. I think.
Final thought: this was a really yummy dish with the necessary tweak. Next time, I’ll make my own, preferred adjustments and see how that goes. I bet it will still be great. :)
Deconstructed Falafel Salad
Recipe from Epicurious.com, right here.
To the surprise of no one, we did manage to include a meatless meal in our plan this week. The actual surprise, was how delicious it turned out to be! Why am I always surprised when minimal ingredients turn into some of my favorite meals? I’ll never know.
Essentially, this dinner was a bowl of crispy chickpeas and quick-sautéed kale topped with cucumbers, mint, dill, and a tahini sauce. Very much a “deconstructed” falafel bowl. I absolutely love falafel so this flavor combo made me quite happy. Is there anything better than salty, crispy chickpeas? Major yum.
While the recipe called for crushed pita chips, we found a GF alternative that worked just fine (quinoa chips). However, I do recommend GF pita chips from Toufayan Bakeries. They’re delicious!
Meatless meals have found a consistent, permanent spot in our meal planning (one or two each week). The fun part has been finding recipes that highlight my favorite flavors, which also happen to be meatless. It’s sometimes a challenge, but always results in new, delicious meals. Win, win.
PS: this deconstructed falafel salad would make an amazing lunch at work. In fact, maybe I’ll do that for next week. ;)
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As always, please leave a comment or send us a note with any questions about our meals.
Enjoy!
